MBP 15 worth upgrading to 8gb ram?

[Skika]

Recently got a MBP 2011 (early), installed a Intel SSD and a optibay with supplied 500 gb drive. The thing is crazy fast! But now i am thinking about upgrading the RAM to 8gb, and want to know if its worth it? I am using it for many things and i just bought Logic Studio 9.

Should i upgrade ?

 

[grahamnp]

Open up Activity Monitor and look for your page outs under the "System Memory" tab, if the swap used and page outs are high, you probably need more RAM. Not much point in getting more RAM if you don't use the extra.

Having said that, RAM is cheap and getting the extra 4GB can be handy even if you only really need it once in a while.

 

[Tony N.]

I just bought some Corsair 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1333 for $31 after rebate from Amazon. I think the upgrade is more for future proofing my brand new Macbook but I do notice better performance when opening many applications. I say DO IT while memory prices are still low. You don't want to wait until DDR3 is obsolete and pricy.

 

[maflynn]

I found that 8GB was really a nice upgrade especially when you consider how Lion takes up a lot more ram. So if you're planning on upgrading or already have - 8 GB is a nice step to help performance.

 

[thundersteele]

you probably don't need 8GB right now. But it's a very nice upgrade for the future, and cheap. Now that internet browsers already use up to 500 MB ram, it's a good investment.

 

[miker2209]

If u got the $ then go for it, if its already rly fast then i see no point in upgrading the RAM at all.

 

[Tonewheel]

Even if the applications you run may not make use of 8GB RAM, it's a fact that the computer in general will run smoother, especially screen transitions.

As others have pointed out, it's dirt cheap and one of the best upgrades you can do for your laptop.

 

[heisenberg123]

i upgraded to 8GB, as other say so cheap now and if you like to do anything RAM intesive like video or photo editing it almost a must now a days if you want to be able to surf the web while video is being ripped or converted

 

[wgr73]

Recently got a MBP 2011 (early), installed a Intel SSD and a optibay with supplied 500 gb drive. The thing is crazy fast! But now i am thinking about upgrading the RAM to 8gb, and want to know if its worth it? I am using it for many things and i just bought Logic Studio 9.

Should i upgrade ?

Where did you get the optibay from? (do you notice any more battery drain with it?) Thanks even tho its a bit off topic

 

[Skika]

Where did you get the optibay from? (do you notice any more battery drain with it?) Thanks even tho its a bit off topic

Hey! I got it from ebay and it is this model:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-2nd-HDD-hard-drive-caddy-SATA-Apple-MacBook-pro-/230602670945?pt=PCC_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item35b0fd8361#ht_2038wt_986

I havent noticed any battery issues, might be worth mention i installed a neat app called "gfxcard status" that lets me switch graphics so i mostly use the integrated Intel hd when on battery.

 

[GGJstudios]

you probably don't need 8GB right now. But it's a very nice upgrade for the future, and cheap. Now that internet browsers already use up to 500 MB ram, it's a good investment.

Actually, it's not a good investment, especially if you don't need it now. RAM prices continue to decline over time, so if you buy it later (when you do need it), it's likely you'll pay less than if you bought it now.

I havent noticed any battery issues, might be worth mention i installed a neat app called "gfxcard status" that lets me switch graphics so i mostly use the integrated Intel hd when on battery.

For more tips on maximizing battery life, read the link below. This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[mark28]

Recently got a MBP 2011 (early), installed a Intel SSD and a optibay with supplied 500 gb drive. The thing is crazy fast! But now i am thinking about upgrading the RAM to 8gb, and want to know if its worth it? I am using it for many things and i just bought Logic Studio 9.

Should i upgrade ?

If you use Lion, 8 gb RAM upgrade is good.